Congratulations, Everyone: U.S. Is Now The Top Wine Market In The World

While they’ve been enjoying Pinot noir and sampling fine Champagne over in France for more years than the United States has been a country, there’s a new No. 1 wine market in the world and it rhymes with “USA, USA!” Yes, it’s our sipping habits that have made our country the top when it comes to swilling vino.

Maybe it’s the influence of all those real housewives of wherever sloshing Pinot Grigio or perhaps Americans really are taking after our cultured European brethren, who have long been fans of the stuff. Either way, the U.S. became the world’s biggest wine market in 2013, edging out France for the top spot for the very first time.

American consumers bought 29.1 million hectoliters of wine in 2013, or about 768.2 million gallons, which was an uptick of 0.5% over 2012. The French did their part in boosting us to the top by buying less, with a drop of about 7% in consumption to 28.1 million hectoliters, reports Reuters.

It’s not like this makes us a nation of winos, either — our drinkers are still far behind France when it comes to consumption per head, being that we’re a bit of a larger country. The average French person goes through about 1.2 bottles per week, according to figures from 2011, which is six times more than the average American. For now.

“In countries such as France, Italy and Spain, people used to drink a lot of wine, but consumption habits are changing,” International Vine and Wine organization OIV director general Jean-Marie Aurand said at a press conference announcing the news.

“Meanwhile U.S consumers tend to appreciate wine more and more ‎and their population is larger,” he added.

It’s also much easier to get through a night of reality TV if there’s a glass of your preferred libation close at hand, and it seems this country will never be done consuming that stuff.